Mildly entertaining, somewhat obscure guests, relatively interesting topics,

semi-professional production quality, reasonably well-informed commentary, a great value for the money,

hundreds of fans all around the world. It's the starting strength gyms podcast with your host, Ray Gillingwater.

I'm here today with Carmen Phillips from the Wichita Falls Athletic Club. She is the

manager of RIP, the person that runs the gym over there in

Wichita Falls, which is essentially the lab for Ripatow and team to test their ideas over

the course of however many decades. We did a video interview with Carmen when I was in

Wichita Falls a couple years back. And I was just looking at that video the other day

and the YouTube commenters actually had nice things to say Carmen so congratulations that might be a

first um yeah no haters well yeah they actually asked for more so they they enjoyed your stories

and thought you were charming.

And I agree.

And I would love to hear from you all of the stuff that most people don't get to see or hear about, not being in the gym and not being as close to rip the way you are.

So why don't why don't we start there?

What in the hell got you to meet Mark Rip, Riptoe?

Actually, know this story.

I'm looking forward to hearing it again.

It's pretty cool because it has to do with one of my favorite cars.

But tell us about how you met Mark Ripeto and how you came to work at the gym and

roughly when this was.

I met Mark in the, it was probably mid-90s.

And it was, I didn't, I had no idea who he was, but I met at the post office.

...